As most veteran teachers will tell you, what you do in the early weeks of school will set the tone for the entire school year. What should you teach in the those beginning weeks? I’ve started each school year a little differently. Some years the pressures from the district compelled me to start instruction right away. After all, we have deadlines for completing instruction for each Standard. Other years I’ve started with something really fun to get students excited about the year to come. And knowing discipline is always an issue, I’ve also started my year spending several days on rules, reinforcing the expectations over and over to nip disobedience in the bud. The answer is a combination of all of these, and the balance is not always easy to achieve.
Starting the School Year with Academics
It’s so tempting to dive right in start instruction when administrators are pressuring us to complete each standard in a set number of days. District and School Assessments judge our students and our instruction. Did students master the concepts expected of them? Did you, as the teacher, cover each standard effectively? The pressure on teachers is intense. There’s no question we don’t have much time to spare. However, when we dive in too soon, we miss valuable time to bond and get to know our students. This is so important in achieving academic and social goals. Students will learn more readily once they’re comfortable with us and with the classroom atmosphere. They need to know who we are and know that we care about them. They need to feel safe in the classroom and that we will not allow bullying and teasing, and will be there when they need help. That doesn’t mean we can’t get started. Try to slip in quick assessments that will inform you on their skill levels while also spending time getting to know them. Try to look at the first standard you are teaching and determine what prerequisite skills they will need. Then you can determine what skills need to be reviewed before you begin. By diving in too fast, you may be pushing them to master skills they’re not quite ready for.
Let’s have fun!
The beginning of the school year is exciting for both teachers and students. It’s so tempting to do something fun to get students excited about your class. I’m not saying you can’t do this. However, be very careful. If they begin the first week, laughing and talking with their friends on a fun and engaging “Get to Know You” activity, it may set the tone that being loud and talkative is okay in your classroom. It’s really hard to pull this back once you’ve allowed it to occur. Think of your fun activity the same way you would any lesson that you teach. Establish rules of behavior first and go over the expectations. Establish a way of quieting the class when it’s time to bring them back. Make it clear they can have fun as long as they follow the rules. I would spend considerable time on general classroom rules first before bringing out these activities. The students don’t know what you expect until you make it clear to them.
Rules, Rules, Rules!!!
Most teachers spend the early days going over the rules again, and again, and again. We need to set the stage for what we expect on any given day. The rules are repeated ad nauseum. It is important to establish your expectations and repeat them until they are internalized. Students will test you from the early days. If you nip that behavior in the bud, you will have a much easier school year. But just remember, all of their classes are doing the same. How many hours can students sit and listen to rules in every single class without starting to snore? So try to break it up a bit. After all, classes can be long, and it’s important to break it up into smaller segments to keep students engaged and alert.
Motivating Students to Behave
Student Behavior should be foremost on your mind those early weeks of the school year. Teachers with the strongest behavior management skills have an understanding of what motivates students to follow the rules. The same students who behave in one class, will exhibit poor behavior with a different teacher. Students first want to know how much you care about them. Those teachers with strong skills are able to have strict rules with definite consequences, but do so with warmth. They keep emotion out of their discipline. If you show anger, disgust, or use sarcasm, you may lose a student’s desire to please you. At the same time these effective teachers already know in advance what their rules are for everything that occurs in the classroom. They are very clear in communicating those rules, and always follow through. What are your consequences for students who don’t bring a pencil, are chronically late, or don’t do their homework? Make sure you communicate these rules clearly to the students. And repeat those rules throughout the school year as needed.
Keep it in Balance
In those first days of class, you are showing your students what you expect. You also need to connect on a personal level, and ease in to your academic content. Break it up. Spend a few minutes talking about yourself. Let students get to know you. Go over some rules, and assign a great “Get to Know You” activity so they can tell you about themselves. Make sure to establish the rules for the activity, and set the boundaries. What do you do to get the students quiet and attentive again? Show them what you expect. Repeat any rules that need to be repeated with a calm, warm tone of voice, and stay consistent. Then give them a short assessment to test their previous skills. In those first days, make sure students have the prerequisite skills for the content you need to teach. Stay flexible, calm, and enjoy your students! Set the tone!
Ideas for digital “Back to School” activities:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Get-to-Know-You-Puzzle-Activity-7076368
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Activity-Up-to-36-Students-5790132
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Practice-Google-Digital-Skills-6943692